An information conveying method is implemented by an information conveying system coupled to a first electronic device associated with a service provider and a second electronic device associated with a user. The system is programmed to: receive a reference image; create a data packet based, on to-be-conveyed information associated with the service provider, and link the data packet to the reference image; upon receiving a captured image from the second electronic device, generate a characteristic code of the captured image; determine whether the captured image matches the reference image; and when the determination made is affirmative, transmit the data packet to the second electronic device.

The present invention provides a printer responsive to commands from printer driver software. The printer driver software is characterized by being responsive to two types of input data. One of the types includes text data, and the other of the types includes watermark data. The two types of data are separately applied to printer driver software, rather than integrated together prior to application to the printer driver software.

In one embodiment, a portable terminal has an input device, a display, and a controller. The controller analyzes maintenance information inputted by the input device, and converts the maintenance information into a format suitable for display of the display, based on this analysis result. The display displays the converted maintenance information.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to identify media using hash keys. An example disclosed method includes generating a hash key based on first samples of media. In the disclosed example method, the first samples corresponds to a portion of the media sampled in a buffer of a computing device. The example method also includes applying a blurring function to the hash key to generate a blurred hash key. The example method also includes generating first confirmation data based on second samples of the media. The example method also includes storing the blurred hash key in association with the first confirmation data and first reference data in a memory separate from the buffer of the sampled media. In the example methods, the reference data identifies the portion of the media.

A handheld imaging device includes an image sensor for sensing an image; a processor for processing the sensed image; a plurality of processing units provided in the processor, the plurality of processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch to form a multi-core processing unit for the processor; and an image sensor interface for converting signals from the image sensor to a format readable by the plurality of processing units, the image sensor interface sharing a wafer substrate with the processor. A transfer of data from the image sensor interface to the plurality of processing units is conducted entirely on the shared wafer substrate.

A handheld imaging device includes an image sensor for sensing an image: a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) processor for processing the sensed image; a plurality of processing units provided in the VLIW processor, the plurality of processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch to form a multi-core processing unit for the VLIW processor; and an image sensor interface for receiving signals from the image sensor and converting the signals to a format readable by the VLIW processor, the image sensor interface sharing a wafer substrate with the VLIW processor. A transfer of data from the image sensor interface to the VLIW processor is conducted entirely on the shared wafer substrate.

A portable handheld device including a CPU for processing a script; a multi-core processor for processing an image; an input buffer for receiving data for processing by the multi-core processor, the input buffer being provided under the control of the multi-core processor to send data thereto; and an output buffer for receiving data processed by the multi-core processor, the output buffer being provided under the control of the multi-core processor to receive data therefrom. The multi-core processor comprises a plurality of micro-coded processing units. The CPU is configured with authority to clear and query the input and output buffers.

An information processing device includes a voice recorder, a retrieval section, and an analysis section. The information processing device utilizes a meeting report on a meeting. The voice recorder records utterances during the meeting. The retrieval section retrieves an utterance of a term entered in the meeting report from among the utterances recorded on the voice recorder. The analysis section analyzes a content of the meeting based on the utterance of the term.

Techniques and mechanisms are provided for facilitating the capture and review of visual images by visually impaired users. In one implementation, these techniques and mechanisms provide pre image capture functionality and captured image review functionality. With the pre image capture functionality, audio messages are provided to the user to help the user position an image capturing mechanism properly to capture the desired subjects in a picture, to frame the subjects properly within the picture, to size the subjects properly within the picture, etc. With the image review functionality, audio messages are provided to the user to help the user enjoy and visualize a visual image that has been captured and is being displayed to the user. With these functionalities, a visually impaired user is able capture and review images to a much greater degree than is currently possible.

In one example, a method is described. The method includes: accessing a reference hash key in a reference database, applying a blurring function to the reference hash key to generate a first blurred reference hash key, where the blurring function sets at least one least-significant bit of the reference hash key to zero, comparing a metered hash key with blurred reference hash keys stored in a reference database, where the blurred reference hash keys include the first blurred reference hash key, and where the metered hash key is obtained from a meter device, and crediting a first portion of media with an exposure when the metered hash key matches the first blurred reference hash key stored in the reference database.